A gazette notification was issued yesterday asking BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman and his wife Zubaida Rahman to appear before the court on February 6, in a graft case filed against them by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

According to the gazette, warrants have been issued against Tarique and Zubaida and they were asked to appear before the court. As they have failed to do so even after being asked for numerous times, the court has reasonable grounds to believe that they are in hiding to avoid arrest and trial, BSS reports.

Therefore, they have been directed to appear before the tribunal on the next scheduled date. Otherwise, the trial will be conducted in their absence, the gazette reads.

According to the case, on September 26 in 2007, the ACC lodged the case with Kafrul Police Station for amassing properties worth Taka 4,81,53,561 through illegal means and concealed information in wealth statements.

Earlier on January 5 this year, a court ordered police to confiscate moveable and immovable properties of the couple and asked Cantonment Police Station officer-in-charge (OC) to submit a progress report on implementation of the order of confiscating properties by today.

On January 19, the court received reports from Cantonment Police Station on execution of property attachment issued against the couple, which stated that the police did not receive any of the goods or any list regarding the properties.

Judge Md Asaduzzaman of Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court then ordered Tarique and Zubaida to appear in court, and ordered the authorities concerned to publish the order as a gazette as the next step of the case.